Stripper and cleaner for meat



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ALDRICH L. JACKSON J ATTORNEY A. L. JACKSON STRIPPER AND CLEANER FOR MEAT TENDERIZING MACHINES FIG. 2

Maj '27, 1952 Original Filed May 17, 1946 y 27, 1952 A. L. JACKSON Re. 23,506

STRIPPER AND CLEANER FOR MEAT TENDERIZING MACHINES Original Filed May 17, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 7

INVEN TOR y ALDRICH L. JACKSON 4 TTORNE Y K May 27, 1952 A. JACKSON Re. 23,506

STRIPPER AND CLEANER FOR MEAT TENDERIZING MACHINES Original Filed May 17, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ALDRICH L. JACKSON ATTORNEY apart.-

.comb-like fingers which are adapted to be posi l In the drawings formmg part of the specifica' tion;

Reissued May 27, 1952 STRIPPER AND CLEANER FOR MEAT T'ENDERIZING MACHINES Aldrich L. Jackson, Excelsior, Minn., assignor to Hobart-Federal Engineering Corporation, Minneapolm, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Original No. 2,545,407, datedMarch 13, 1951, Se-

rial No. 670,554, May 17,

1946. Application for reissue June 26, 1951, Serial No. 233,513

7 Claims.

: Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made byreissue.

units may be made in one form as individual combs for each tenderizing roller or they may be made in a single unit so that the unit may be swung into operative position.

It is also a feature to provide removable stripper and cleaner units, eachunit including fingers for stripping the meat from the cutting blades and stripper fingers adapted to engage the hubs of the collars which space the cutting blades Heretoi'ore tenderizing machines of this char acter were provided with stripper fingers which stripped the meat from the cutter blades and the stripper comb with a separate tool which had to be brought into operation to clean the hubs of the spaces periodically owing to the fact thatgj. particles of meat would adhere to the hubs of the spaces and the vsinews of the meat would also be inclined to .wrap around the hub oi: the spacing. collars. O

Itis a feature of my invention to provide the 2. stripper and cleaner means in a unit so that'the tenderizing machine will automatically be cleansed as the stripper operates to strip the meat from the tenderizing cutters.

It is also a feature to provide'strippers for thei hubs of the spacers in the tenderizing machine which bear against the hubs under spring tension and thus keeps the hubs clean during the operation of the tenderizer.

- A further feature resides in combining the stripper fingers and the stripper membersso that the stripper fingers will extend from the stripper members and will be formed a part thereof in tioned between each of the blades of the tenderizing machine.

These features together with other details and I objects of my invention will be more fully and clearlyhereinafter set forth:

Figure 1 illustrates a vertical section through a portion of a. meat tenderizing machine showing the tenderizing-rollers within the casing and showing my stripper finger units in operative position.

Figure -2 illustrates the stripper and cleaner finger units, one of'which is held in operative position by a springcatch and the other of which is shown in dotted line in operative position and in full lines swung away from the cutter blades.

Figure 3 is a-plan view looking down on the cutter blades as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side sectional elevation showing a pair of meat tenderizing rollers and showing the vstripper and cleaner unit in full lines in operative position and in dotted lines swung out away from the tenderizing rollers.

Figure 5 illustrates another form of my stripper and cleaner units wherein the stripper and cleaner units are adapted to straddle the hubs between the cutting discs and showing the units removable.

Figure 6 is an outside end view of the tenderizing unit which supports the tenderizer rollers and showing a spring for holding the stripper and cleanser unit for each roller connected together.

Figure 7 is a detailed end view of the opposite end to that shown in Figure 6 of the unit which supports the tenderizing rollers.

Figure 8 is a detail portion of the stripper and cleanser unit showing the manner in which the combs are hinged together.

Figure 9 is an end view of Figure 8 taken on the line 99.

My stripper and cleanser means is adapted to be used with a meat tenderizer machine A which is formed with a tenderizing unit Ill which may be removed from the machine A when the cover I i ofthe casing is elevated on its hinged point 12.

The casing of the machine A is partly broken away, however, the lower portion I3 is partially illustrated and this portion of the casing includes an inclined wall I4 on to which. the tenderized meat is deposited when it leaves the tenderizing rollers.

- The cover H of the casing is formed with an open slot l5'having depending sides 16' which are integral with the cover H and Whichact to guide-the meat to the tenderizing rollers.

The meat tenderizing unit I0 is made up of end walls [1 and 48 shown in Figure 3 andwhich are adapted to support a pair of rollers [9 which are formed by a series of thin cutting blades 20 mounted on parallel shafts 2| and. the cutter blades are spaced apart by the collars or spacers 22 forming caps therebetween.

The cutter blades 20 may be formed with sharp edged teeth as illustrated in Figure 1 and the shafts 21 are positioned so that the cutter blades 20 intermesh as illustrated, thus when the machine A is in operation and the rollers with the cutter blades 20 are rotated toward each other in the direction of the arrows in Figure 1 the meat may be dropped through the slot whereupon the cutter blades will engage the same and draw it through the rollers causing the blades 20 to cut the fibers in the meat without crushing it. As the meat passes between the tenderizing rollers, it is carried on through the machine A to the inclined wall l4.

As the meat passes through the machine A it is necessary that it be stripped from the cutting blades 20 and therefore I provide my stripping and cleaning unit tostrip the meat from the blades and to keep the. hubs of the collars 22 clean of any particles of meat.

My stripper and cleaner units may be in the form illustrated in Figure 1 wherein a series of fingers 23 are connected together with a comblike form by the back bar 24 which is hinged at 25 as illustrated in Figure 1 with a different and greater radius than hubs 22, the hinge 25 forming an eccentric mounting for the fingers.

Each comb unit which comprises the series of fingers 23 is held when in operative position by the spring latches 26 positioned on the outer .end I 8 as illustrated in Figure 2. The spring the position of the comb fingers 23 in operating. One of the units [show] shows the comb fingers 23 in dotted outline and illustrates in full lines the fingers 23 rotated away from the cutter discs 20.

,In Figure 5 I have illustrated a different form the shafts 34. The stripper fingers extend from the shafts 34 between each of the cutter discs 28 and are connected together by the back bar portion 35 while the free ends 31 of the fingers project beyond the diameter of the cutting discs 20.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the stripper and cleaner units 33 are formed with separate cleaning fingers 38 which are connected by the back bar 39 which is also hinged to the shaft 34 in the manner illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. The stripper fingers 38 are formed with sharp scraping edges 48 which bear against the hubs of the spacer collars 22. In this form of my stripping and cleaning units each of the units 33 [straddle] straddles the collars 22 as illustrated in Figure 5 and by means of the lugs 4| the units 33 are connected together by the coil spring 42 illustrated in Figure 6 on one end of the tenderizing unit I0.

I provide slots 43 in the ends l1 and 18 into which the lugs 44 slide to removably hold each of the units 33 from the tenderizing unit In. The slots 43 are formed with shoulder portions 45 so that the lugs 44 may engage beneath the same to hold the units 33 under the tension of the spring 42 in operative position.

When it is desired to remove the stripper and cleaner units 33, the lugs 44 are released against The spring latches 26 may be released to free :the arms 21 which are mounted on the ends of the rods which hinge the comb fingers 23 at 25. When the arms 21 are released the comb can be swung out as illustrated on the left of Figure 2 which shows the comb fingers 23 in full outline.

' .aThe comb fingers 23 are formed with finger stripping ends 28 which extend between each "ping ends 28 together with the stripping edges 29 keep the cutting discs 20 clean of any meat and also automatically clean the hubs of the collars 22 while the tenderizer is in operation.

The stripper and cleaning units may be joined together as illustrated in Figure 4 by the bars '38 which are positioned at the ends of the tenderizer unit and act to hold the fingers 23 connected together for each pair of tenderizing rollers formed by the discs 20. In this form of my stripper and cleaner unit the entire unit may be swung out as illustrated in dotted outline away from the cutter discs 20.

In operative position the unit shown in Figure 4 is held by the coil spring 3| which hooks over the shaft 32 to hold the pair of stripping and cleaning units under spring tension with of the spacer collars 22.

the tension of the spring 42 so that the lugs 44 may be lifted out of the slots 43 and thus the stripper fingers 31 and the stripping fingers 38 may be removed as a unit from between the cutter discs 20.

It will therefore be apparent that I provide'a stripper and cleaning means for meat tenderizing machines where a series of cutting discs are mounted on parallel shafts and the meat to be tenderized is passed between these tenderizing rollers. The strippers automatically strip the meat from the cutting discs and the sharp stripper edges of the stripping fingers bear against the hubs of the spacer collarsand keep the same clean of any particles of meat. or sinews, which have a tendency to cling to the hub and wrap around the same were it not for the cleaning action of my spacing fingers during the operationof the tenderizer. My stripper and cleaner operates automatically to keep the tenderizing machine clean at all times. It will be apparent that it is highly essential that a meat tenderizing machine be kept just as clean as possible so as to keep the same sanitary and I have accomplished this by my stripper and cleaner units so that it is not necessary for the operator to stop and clean the machine now and then as this is taken care of automatically during the operation of the machine.

I claim:

1. A stripper and cleaner finger for meat tenderizing units including an arcuated blade cleaner portion terminating in a sharp edge portion adapted to contact the hub of a unit and of a radius greater than that of the hub of .the unit maintaining the major extent of said actuated portion spaced from and out of contact with said hub, and a stripping free end portion extending from said hub-contacting sharp edge in the-direction of discharge of a meat product to form'a stripping guide, and securing means formed on the end of said arcuated blade cleaner portion opposite said sharp edge portion.

2. A stripper and cleaner finger unit for the blades and hubs of a meat tenderizing unit, each stripper and cleaner finger having an arcuated cleaner portion of a different radius greater than that of the hubs of the unit, a sharp edge portion formed on each of said fingers adapted to contact the hubs which support the blades in a limited area on the discharge side thereof to automatically clean the hubs, and a free end stripper portion extending from said sharp edged portion in the direction of discharge of the meat for guiding and stripping the meat from the blades and hubs.

3. A series of stripper fingers for each of a pair of cooperating meat tenderizing units having a series of tenderizing knives supported on hubs,

comprising a chisel edge formed on each of said fingers adapted to engage said hubs on the discharge side thereof to scrape the same, means for mounting said series of stripper fingers eccentrically with respect to said hubs so as to maintain a major portion of said fingers spaced from and out of contact with said hubs, and a free end body portion extending from each of said chisel edges in the direction of discharge of a food product therethrough adapted to clean the sides of said blades and guide the food product from said hubs and blades.

4. In a meat tenderizing machine, a frame, a gang of disk-like knives mounted in spaced relation providing gaps therebetween on and along a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame, spacers on the shaft respectively between the knives and forming the bottom walls of the gaps, an elongated bar, a row of knife cleaning fingers carried by and spaced uniformly along and extending laterally outward from the bar, and means supporting the bar at its ends on the frame disposed along and above said gang with the fingers extending downwardly in the gaps between the knives and having chisel edges in contact with the bottom walls of the gaps at one side of a vertical plane passing through the rotary axis of the gang.

5. Inc meat tenderieing machine, a pair of shafts, a rotary gang of disk-like knives mounted in spaced relation on each shaft providing gaps therebetween, spacers on the shafts between the knives and forming the bottom walls of the gaps, means above and parallel with the gang for stripping the cut meat from the knives and having portions extending between the knives with sharpened edges contacting said spacers to clean the meat from the spacers.

6. In a meat tenderizing machine, a frame, a gang of disk-like knives mounted in spaced relation providing gaps therebetween on and along a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame, spacers on the shaft respectively between the knives and forming the bottom walls of the gaps, an elongated bar, a row of knife cleaning fingers carried by and spaced uniformly along and extending laterally outward from the bar, and means supporting the bar at its ends on the frame, said bar being disposed along and above the axis of said gang with the fingers extending in the gaps between the knives and with sharpened edges in contact with the bottom walls of the gaps.

7. In a meat tenderieing machine, a frame, a pair of shafts, a rotary gang of disk-like knives mounted in spaced relation along each shaft providing gaps therebetween, spacers on each shaft between the knives and forming the bottom walls of the gaps, and meat stripping and cleaning means mounted above the axes of the shafts parallel to the gangs, said means including sharpened finger portions extending between the blades of each gang and means positively urging said finger portions into contact with said spacers to scrape the meat therefrom, and meat stripping portions which have free ends extending downwardly from between the blades to strip meat from the periphery of the blades and free it from said gang.

ALDRICH L. JACKSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent or the original patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 502,355 Gailbreath Aug. 1, 1893 776,945 Riedel Dec. 6, 1904 788,903 Heinz May 2, 1905 880,589 Snelling Mar. 3, 1908 1,644,608 Perez Oct. 4, 1927 1,973,284 Huse Sept. 11, 1934 1,976,751 Short Oct. 16, 1934 2,001,641 West May 14, 1935 2,025,505 Gonser Dec. 24, 1935 2,163,123 I-Iuse June 20, 1939 2,346,686 Jackson Apr. 18, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 9,012 Great Britain 1897 182,795 Germany Mar. 2, 1907 692,605 Germany June 22, 1940 

